Mindfulness Meditation · Intention
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Intention.
Bodhisattva Suryabaskara; China or Inner Mongolia; 18th century; Ground mineral pigment on cotton; 47 5/8 × 19 in. (estimated); Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.136
Standing with his right hand in front of his heart, this 18th-century depiction of Bodhisattva Suryabaskara holds a lotus flower that extends and blooms over his right shoulder. Within the flower rests an orange sun referencing this bodhisattva’s name, which translates to the sun’s rays. The defining feature of a bodhisattva is the intention to become enlightened so that he or she can help all other beings become enlightened. Therefore practice is not complete unless the practitioner keeps this intention in mind and realizes that ultimately the benefits are for others and not for oneself.
Tracy Cochran has taught meditation and spiritual practice for many years. She is a speaker and author whose most recent book, Presence: The Art of Being At Home in Yourself, was published by Shambhala Publications in 2024. Tracy is the founder and leading teacher of the Hudson River Sangha and has taught mindfulness and mindful writing at New York Insight, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, and many other venues. In addition to serving as the editorial director of the acclaimed spiritual quarterly Parabola, her writings have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, The Best Spiritual Writing series, Parabola, and many other publications and anthologies. For more about Tracy, please visit tracycochran.org and parabola.org.
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